A vehicle accident caused by a deer crossing Highway 99 last Thursday (Nov. 22) left the vehicle occupants uninjured, but killed the animal. And the incident has renewed cries for more animal passageways along the built highway.
"This will be a major killer highway," said Glen Hearns, a director of the Squamish Conservation Society. "People drive fast on this highway. Our animal deaths will increase. These Olympics are supposed to be a showcase for green Games. I think it behooves us to also look at wildlife issues, not just greenhouse gas initiatives."
New medians can cause animals to become trapped once they bound over the side barricades, said Hearns. Around 17 bears were killed on the highway after being hit by vehicles this summer along with several deer - accurate figures for deer are unknown since their numbers aren't noted, according to the company charged with cleaning up the aftermath, Miller Capilano.
The number of bears killed this summer is five times greater than a similar highway corridor between Jasper and Banff, said Hearns, and that's because, since 1976, Parks Canada has installed some 28 wildlife underpasses and two overpasses on highways in Banff Park.
"Since they've created the overpasses and culverts in Banff they've got a 96 per cent reduction in road kill," said Hearns, adding the ministry should also implement relatively inexpensive deterrents, such as sonar technology."Some places have built infrared monitoring systems so that when vehicles are coming, they have sensors that can actually deter animals from crossing at those places."
The Ministry of Transportation is installing five large animal passageways: one at the overland route of Horseshoe Bay and four more under a new section of highway near Pinecrest Estates and Black Tusk Village at the southern tip of Whistler, according to Lisanne Bowness of the MOT.
"An environmental assessment was done and studies were carried out on animal use and habitat and that's where we found they'd [underpasses] be most effective.
She said additional passage for animals are facilitated under bridges at Furry Creek, Shannon Creek, Stawamus and Mamquam Rivers.But the pedestrians underpasses at Furry Creek are hazards to animals and humans, said Hearns, because large animals have already been seen using them.
"It's just a matter of time before a bear walks through and scares, you know, a golfer," said Hearns, adding that as an experiment, the passageway is not all bad. "The point is that they've seen animals using them, so we know that they work."Hearns said the passageways along the rivers may also be inadequate in times of flood.
"We do get flooding and there's no way for animals to get across when there's flooding."
Without specifically addressing flooding, Ministry of Transportation spokesperson Susan Williams said high levels of water should not affect the animals' passageways underneath bridges.
"At high tide, wildlife are still able to pass under the bridge. There's a minimal tidal influence of passage underneath the bridge." She also said that large animals will naturally tend to follow a crossing creek bed at Furry Creek rather than pedestrian underpasses.
